Reversible flow control valve



July 17, 1962 c. E. ADAMS ET AL REVERSIBLE FLOW CONTROL VALVE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 18, 1959 INVENTORS. CECIL E. ADAMSJOSEPH P. CREEK BY @Maf W July 17, 1962 c, ADAMS ETAL 3,044,485

REVERSIBLE FLOW CONTROL VALVE Original Filed June 18, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. CECIL E. ADAMS JOSEPH P. CREEK agm a.

United States Patent 3,044,485 REVERSIBLE FLOW CONTROL VALVE Cecil E.Adams and Joseph P. Creek, Columbus, Ohio, as-

signors to American Brake Shoe Company, New York,

N .Y., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No.821,231, June 18,

1959. This application Aug. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 47,347

2 Claims. (Cl. 137493.7)

This invention relates to hydraulics and more particularly toimprovements in reversible flow control valves.

The main object of the invention is to provide improved structure in avalve which functions to control the rate of fluid flow in one directionand permit fluid to flow substantially unrestricted in the oppositedirection therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulicsurge eliminator including the invention which is capable of permittingfluid to flow in both directions therethrough and in which the flow inone direction is regulated to dampen or prevent pressure surges in thehydraulic line connected to the exhaust port of said valve, and in whichthe reverse flow of fluid through the valve may be substantiallyunrestricted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvement upon theapparatus disclosed by Cecil B. Adams in his Patent No. 2,690,762 datedOctober 5, 1954, for Hydraulic Shock Eliminator.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the inventionis-clearly shown.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a surge dampeningvalve which includes the features of the invention, the parts of thevalve being shown in the positions they occupy when the valve isinactive.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, the parts of the valve being shownin the positions which they occupy when the valve is operating toprevent a surge in pressure from occurring in the exhaust passageway.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts of the valve inthe positions which they occupy after the valve has operated to preventa surge in pressure; the parts of the valve are returning to theirpositions as seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is also a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts of thevalve in the positions which they occupy when fluid is flowing throughthe valve in a reverse direction.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in section, the view taken on line 55 ofFIG. 1.

This application is a continuation of our copending application U.S.Serial No. 821,231 filed June 18, 1959, now to be abandoned.

The surge dampening valve seen in the drawings may be employed in ahydraulic system to control pressure surges which may occur in thesystem due to the sudden introduction of high pressure fluid into a lineor other part of the hydraulic system.

It is to be understood that while the invention is illustrated in thedrawings as being incorporated in a surge dampening valve, it can alsobe incorporated in any valve which functions to control the flow offluid in one direction and permit a substantially unrestricted flow offluid in a reverse direction therethrough. The invention can beincorporated with facility in surge dampening valves, flow controlvalves, pressure reducing valves, sequence and other type valves whereinsuch features are desirable.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5 of the drawings, the surge dampeningvalve has a body 11 and an end cap Cir ice

2 12 which is held in sealing engagement with body 11 by cap screws, notshown. Valve body 11 has a stepped bore 13 which forms a valve seat 14at one end thereof.

Inlet passageway 15 communicates with bore 13 through inlet port 16. Theexhaust passageway 17 communicates with bore 13 through exhaust port 18.

The valve means in bore 13 includes a piston 19 having a reduceddiameter portion 20, and a combined sleeve and check valve element orunitary sleeve and poppet element 21 having a valve port 22. The valveelement 21 is slidingly and sealingly disposed for axial movement uponthe reduced diameter portion 20 of piston 19. A spring 23 which :abutspiston 19 and valve element 21 urges valve element 21 into sealingabutment with valve seat 14. Piston 19 is normal-1y urged into a closedseal ing engagement with valve element 21 by a spring 24 housed inchamber 25 of end cap 12. Piston 19 and valve element 21 cooperate tocontrol the flow of fluid from the inlet passageway 15 to the exhaustpassageway 17.

The piston 19 divides the bore 13 into a control chamber 25 and an inletchamber 26. The function of these chambers will be described later indetail in the description of operation of the surge valve 10.

Piston 19 has a stepped bore 27 with a large diameter portion 28, asmall diameter portion 29 and an orifice 30 positioned therebetween. Inbore 27 there is a com pression spring 31 and 'a hollow piston 32 withan orifice 33 atone end thereof. Spring 31 and piston 32 are retained inbore 27 by a snap ring 34.

A needle valve 35 and compression spring 36 are retained within thehollow piston 32 by a pin 37 which is pressed into bore 38 in needlevalve 35 and extends into slots 39 in the sidewall of hollow piston 32thus forming a lost-motion connector means. Hollow piston 32, needlevalve 35 and spring 36 function together and cooperate with orifice 30in piston 19 to control the flow of fluid from the control chamber 25 tothe exhaust passageway 17. The compression spring 31 urges the hollowpiston 32 and needle valve 35 to a normally open position, that is, awayfrom orifice 30.

The operation of the surge damping valve is as follows:

Assuming now that fluid under pressure has entered the inlet passageway15, inlet port 16 and inlet chamber 26 of valve 10, the piston 19 isurged to the left by pressure thus compressing the abutting spring 24and displacing fluid from control chamber 25 in end cap 12. The fluid inchamber 25 will urge the hollow piston 32 and needle valve 35 to theright thus compressing spring 31. Needle valve 35 will now berestricting the rate of fluid flow from control chamber 25 throughorifice 30. Fluid from chamber 25 will flow through needle valve 35 intothe large diameter portion 28 of bore 27 and will continue to be meteredthrough orifice 30 into small diameter portion 29, exhaust port 18 andexhaust passageway 17 thus controlling the rate of movement of thepiston 19 to the left. (See FIGS. 2 and 5.)

As a result of the controlled movement of piston 19 to the left, thefluid in the control chamber 26 is gradually being metered through valveport 22, into bore 41 of valve element 21, exhaust port 18 and exhaustpassageway 17.

It will be seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings that the needle valve 35 hasfour machined flats 40 which readily permit fluid to flow between theneedle valve 35 and the hollow piston 32.

FIG. 3 of the drawings shows the parts of the hydraulic surge eliminator10 starting to seek their normal positions as seen in FIG. 1 of thedrawings after flow is discontinued through the valve in the controlleddirection.

Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that hydraulicfluid is now flowing in a reverse direction orifice 33, spring 36,around aoaaaee through the surge valve 10, as indicated by the arrows.Fluid from the exhaust passageway ll? has urged the unitary sleeve andpoppet valve element 21 to the left on the reduced diameter portion 20of piston valve 19 and is flowing substantially unrestricted throughexhaust port 18, chamber 26, inlet port 16 and inlet passageway 15. Whenthere is an interruption in the reverse flow of fluid through surgevalve 10, the spring 23 will urge the unitary sleeve and poppet valveelement into sealing abutment with the valve seat14, as seen in FIG. 1of the drawings.

' One of the advantages of the invention is the novel onepiececonstruction of the unitary sleeve and poppet element which has twofunctions, first to control fluid flow in one direction and second topermit fluid to flow in a reverse direction through the valve.

Another advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the unitarysleeve and poppet valve element is supported and guided for axialmovement by the reduced diameter portion of the piston thus insuringproper alignment of the unitary sleeve and poppet valve element withrespect to the reduced diameter portion of the piston and the valveseat.

Another advantage of the invention is the low cost of manufacturing dueto the simple and compact structural design of the unitary sleeve andpoppet valve element.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

We claim:

1. A surge damping valve for damping surges in the flow of a fluid inone direction therethrough and for permitting the relativelyunrestricted flow of fluid therethrough in a reverse direction, saidvalve including means forming a body; a bore in said body; a valve seatat one end of said bore and an exhaust passageway communicating withsaid bore through said valve seat; an inlet port in said here, a firstvalve means disposed for axial movement in said =b0re, said valve meansincluding means forming a cylindrical surface; a second valve meansslidably disposed for movement relative to said cylindrical surface andsaid seat, port means between said first and second valve meanscooperating to form a first valve; yieldable means normally positioningsaid first valve means to close the port means between said first andsecond valve means thereby preventing the flow of fluid from said inletport to said exhaust passageway, said first valve means having a steppedthrough bore which forms an orifice, yieldable valve means disposed foraxial movement in said bore, said yieldable valve means including meansforming a hollow piston with an orifice at one end and a'valve elementat the opposite end thereof, said valve element cooperating with saidfirst mentioned orifice and functioning to control the opening of saidfirst valve at -a rate inversely proportional to an increase in pressureat said inlet port, resilient means urging said second valve means intoabutting relation with said valve seat to form a second valve, saidcylindrical surface and said second valve means being in slidaoleengagement and functioning to control the flow of fluid which enterssaid inlet port and flows through said exhaust passageway; and saidsecond valve means being movable by pressure at said exhaust passagewayto open the latter thereby to permit fluid to flow in a reversedirection from said exhaust passageway to said inlet port.

2. A surge dampening valve having reverse flow features including meansforming a body; a bore in said body having a valve seat at one endthereof; an exhaust passageway communicating with said bore through saidvalve seat; an inlet port in said bore, valve means disposed for axialmovement in said bore, said valve means including a piston and a unitarysleeve and poppet valve element, said unitary sleeve and poppet valveelement being slidingly and sealingly disposed for axial movement uponsaid piston; port means in said unitary sleeve and poppet valve elementcooperating with said piston to form a first valve, means normallypositioning said piston to close said port means in said unitary sleeveand poppet valve element; said piston having a stepped through borewhich-forms an orifice, yieldable valve means disposed for axialmovement in said bore, said yieldable valve means including meansforming a hollow piston with an orifice at one end and a valve elementat the opposite end thereof, said valve element cooperating with saidfirst mentioned orifice and functioning to control the opening of saidfirst mentioned valve at a rate which is inversely proportional to themagnitude of the fluid pressure surges that occur in said inlet port,resilient means urging said unitary sleeve and poppet valve element intosealing abutment with said valve seat toform a second valve, said pistonand said unitary sleeve and poppet valve element sliding thereon andfunctioning to control the flow of fluid which enters said inlet portand flows through said exhaust passageway; and said unitary sleeve andpoppet valve element being movable by pressure at said exhaustpassageway to open the latter thereby to permit fluid to flow in areverse direction from said exhaust passageway to said inlet port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

